This comprehensive guide will show you the most efficient and fastest way to level your Blacksmithing profession from skill level 1 to 100 in World of Warcraft’s The War Within expansion, optimized for players looking for a Wowhead-style walkthrough.
Blacksmithing pairs exceptionally well with Mining, and we highly recommend leveling both professions in tandem. Gathering your own materials through Mining will save you a significant amount of gold, especially if you prefer not to rely heavily on the Auction House. If you’re also planning to level Mining, be sure to check out our dedicated Mining leveling guide for complementary strategies.
Table of Contents
Finding Your Blacksmithing Trainer and Crafting Station
To begin your Blacksmithing journey in The War Within, you’ll need to locate the Blacksmithing trainer in Dornogal. This trainer will teach you the War Within Blacksmithing skill, allowing you to start crafting new recipes.
Most War Within Blacksmithing recipes require a crafting table to forge your creations. Conveniently, you can find a Blacksmithing crafting table situated right next to the Blacksmithing trainer in Dornogal.
Essential Shopping List for Blacksmithing Leveling
Here’s a shopping list outlining the materials you’ll need to level your Khaz Algar Blacksmithing skill up to level 65. Please note that the levels from 65 to 100 are considered optional and are not included in this initial list. You can assess the material costs and availability as you progress and decide if you want to pre-purchase materials for the later levels.
Remember, material quality is irrelevant for leveling purposes. Focus on purchasing the cheapest materials available to minimize your leveling costs.
Step-by-Step Khaz Algar Blacksmithing Leveling Guide
Leveraging Racial Bonuses for Efficient Leveling
Certain races possess racial traits that grant bonuses to profession skill, which can be advantageous for Blacksmithing leveling. These racial bonuses allow recipes to remain “orange” (guaranteeing a skill point gain) for an extended duration, typically for an additional 2 to 5 skill points. This can translate into gold savings as you can craft lower-level recipes for longer to gain skill points.
The races with Blacksmithing skill bonuses are:
- Lightforged Draenei: +5 Blacksmithing skill
- Dark Iron Dwarves: +5 Blacksmithing skill
- Kul Tiran: +2 Blacksmithing skill
Skill Levels 1 – 15
Craft 48x Core Alloy – Requires: 384x Echoing Flux, 480x Bismuth
You can purchase Echoing Flux directly from Borgos, who is conveniently located near the Blacksmithing trainer in Dornogal.
Important: Retain all the Core Alloy you craft, as they are essential components for many recipes in the subsequent leveling stages.
If you haven’t quite reached skill level 15 after crafting the Core Alloys, craft one Dredger’s Plate Breastplate to bridge the gap.
Skill Levels 15 – 20
Craft each of the following items once:
- 1x Proficient Pickaxe – Requires: 5x Crystalline Powder, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Proficient Sickle – Requires: 3x Crystalline Powder, 2x Core Alloy
- 1x Proficient Skinning Knife – Requires: 5x Crystalline Powder, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Ironclaw Alloy – Requires: 5x Echoing Flux, 1x Leyline Residue, 5x Ironclaw Ore, 2x Core Alloy
- 1x Charged Alloy – Requires: 5x Echoing Flux, 1x Leyline Residue, 5x Aqirite, 2x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 20 – 25
Craft the following:
- 1x Proficient Blacksmith’s Hammer – Requires: 1x Core Alloy
Equip the Proficient Blacksmith’s Hammer. This crafted tool can provide a slight profession bonus while leveling.
Then craft one of each:
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Greatbelt – Requires: 1x Bismuth, 2x Core Alloy
- 1x Dredger’s Plate Vambraces – Requires: 8x Bismuth, 1x Core Alloy
Unlocking Blacksmithing Specializations at Level 25
Upon reaching Blacksmithing skill level 25, you will unlock access to Blacksmithing specializations. This is a significant progression point in your profession journey, allowing you to focus on specific crafting paths.
In The War Within, you will eventually be able to learn all three Blacksmithing specializations, so your initial choice isn’t permanent or restrictive. You will need 50 skill points to unlock your second specialization, 60 for the third, and 75 for the fourth.
However, the way you allocate your Blacksmithing Knowledge Points is crucial. Before making any decisions, take the time to thoroughly explore the specializations and determine which path aligns best with your crafting goals. Knowledge Points are a limited resource, so strategic planning is essential.
We highly recommend consulting our comprehensive War Within Blacksmithing Specialization Guide. This guide provides in-depth coverage of each specialization and sub-specialization, along with example builds to help you get started effectively.
TWW Blacksmithing Specialization Guide and Builds
Leveling Blacksmithing Skill from 25 to 94
Skill Levels 25 – 31
These weapon recipes will become yellow and offer reduced skill gains sooner than other recipes. It’s therefore more efficient to craft them during this level range.
Craft one of each:
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Defender – Requires: 3x Bismuth, 2x Core Alloy
- 1x Ironclaw Dirk – Requires: 5x Ironclaw Ore, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Ironclaw Stiletto – Requires: 5x Ironclaw Ore, 1x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 31 – 38
Craft the following:
- 1x Proficient Blacksmith’s Toolbox – Requires: 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Ironclaw Axe – Requires: 8x Ironclaw Ore, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Ironclaw Sword – Requires: 8x Ironclaw Ore, 1x Core Alloy
Equip the Proficient Blacksmith’s Toolbox. Similar to the hammer, this tool can provide a minor profession benefit.
Then craft one of each of these armor pieces:
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Gauntlets – Requires: 4x Bismuth, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Helm – Requires: 4x Bismuth, 1x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 38 – 40
Craft one of each:
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Legplates – Requires: 6x Bismuth, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Dredger’s Developed Pauldrons – Requires: 5x Bismuth, 2x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 40 – 42
Craft one of each framework:
- 1x Adjustable Framework – Requires: 1x Crystalline Powder, 1x Core Alloy
- 1x Tempered Framework – Requires: 1x Crystalline Powder, 1x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 42 – 50
Craft the following:
- 1x Ironclaw Great Mace – Requires: 10x Ironclaw Ore, 1x Core Alloy
- 3x Ironclaw Knuckles – Requires per craft: 3x Ironclaw Ore, 3x Core Alloy
Skill Levels 50 – 65
Craft 17x Forged Framework – Requires per craft: 17x Crystalline Powder, 17x Core Alloy
This recipe will turn yellow for the last 5 skill points in this range, so you might need to craft a few more than 17 to reach level 65.
Important Specialization Tip: Aim to choose the Everburning Forge specialization as your second or third specialization. This specialization path offers an alternative and potentially cheaper method for leveling Blacksmithing beyond level 65.
Skill Levels 65 – 75
Note: If crafting these Sanctified Alloys proves too expensive for your budget, you can skip this section entirely and transition to crafting Everburning Ignition for a slower but more cost-effective leveling approach.
Craft approximately 20x Sanctified Alloy – Requires per craft: 100x Echoing Flux, 20x Profaned Tinderbox, 20x Null Stone, 40x Ironclaw Ore, 20x Core Alloy
This recipe will turn green for the final 5 skill points, so you’ll likely need to craft between 25 and 30 Sanctified Alloys to reliably reach level 75. However, material availability and pricing fluctuations might influence the exact number needed.
If you find that you can sell these Sanctified Alloys for a profit or close to your material costs, you can continue crafting them until they become grey at skill level 80, potentially recouping some of your leveling expenses.
Skill Levels 75 – 94
Everburning Ignition becomes a viable leveling option from this point. It remains orange until skill level 90, offering consistent skill point gains. The recipe has a 2-hour recharge time, but provides 5 charges per craft, reducing the frequency of crafting sessions.
Inventory Limit: You can only hold a maximum of 10 Everburning Ignition in your inventory at any time. You will need to sell or use some of your crafted Ignitions to craft the full batch of 30.
Craft 30x Everburning Ignition – Requires per craft: 30x Artisan’s Acuity, 150x Crystalline Powder, 30x Core Alloy
Leveling through this method will take approximately 3 to 4 days, assuming you log in at least once every 10 hours to craft and manage your Everburning Ignitions.
Leveling from 94 to 100
While Everburning Ignition can technically grant skill points up to 100, it turns green for the last 5 levels, making it inefficient for reaching the skill cap. If you have learned any epic armor or weapon recipes from specializations or other sources, switching to crafting orders is highly recommended for these final levels.
These epic recipes require a Spark of Omen, a Bind on Pickup (BoP) crafting reagent that cannot be purchased from the Auction House. As you can only obtain one Spark of Omen every two weeks, utilizing the crafting order system becomes the most practical approach for these last 6 skill points. Each epic recipe craft grants 3 skill points, so you will only need to complete 2 crafting orders to reach level 100.
Weaponsmithing and Armorsmithing Specializations for Leveling
Recipes learned from both the Weaponsmithing and Armorsmithing specializations will grant skill points all the way to 100. Therefore, choosing any specialization path will provide viable recipes for max-level crafting and skill progression.
Recipes from Vendors and Drops for Leveling
These are alternative recipes you can acquire from in-game vendors or through drops from enemies, offering additional options for leveling, particularly at higher skill levels.
| Item | Recipe Source |
|---|---|
| Charged Slicer | Vendor: Khaz Algar World Vendors. Cost: 150x Artisan’s Acuity, 1500x Kej |
| Charged Facesmasher | Vendor: Lyrendal. Cost: 150x Artisan’s Acuity |
| Charged Crusher | Drop: Awakening the Machine |
| Charged Runeaxe | Drop: The Theater Troupe |
| Beledar’s Bulwark | Drop: The Dawnbreaker Dungeon |
| Siphoning Stiletto | Drop: Nexus-Princess Ky’veza, Zone: Nerub-ar Palace |
| Sanctified Steps | Drop: World Creatures |
Utilizing Crafting Orders for Final Skill Points
Once you have access to recipes from specializations, vendors, or drops, you can leverage the Crafting Orders system to efficiently gain the last few skill points to reach 100.
Public Crafting Orders
When accessing the Crafting Orders interface, remember to click “Search” in the top-left corner of the Public Orders tab. Public orders do not automatically refresh and load. However, be aware that public crafting orders are often quickly filled by other players as soon as they are posted.
In Dragonflight, public crafting orders were not widely adopted by players, and this trend is likely to continue in The War Within. Many players prefer the control and reliability of guild or personal crafting orders to ensure item quality and material management. The unpredictable nature of public orders makes them less appealing, resulting in limited availability.
Furthermore, Public Orders are realm-specific, meaning you will only see orders placed by players on your connected realm. If you are playing on a low-population realm, the number of available public orders may be minimal or non-existent.
NPC Crafting Orders
Fortunately, the introduction of NPC crafting orders in The War Within provides a more accessible alternative for leveling. You will frequently receive crafting orders from NPCs for epic weapons and armor. However, you may need to acquire more Knowledge Points in your specializations to fulfill some of these higher-tier orders.
These NPC orders are personalized and exclusive to you, meaning other players cannot claim them. Consider them as Personal Orders specifically directed to you by NPCs. However, the recipes requested by NPCs are randomly generated, so there is no guarantee that you will receive orders for recipes you are currently capable of crafting.
Personal Crafting Orders
To effectively utilize Personal Crafting Orders for leveling, you should advertise your Blacksmithing services in the trade chat channel. Most players seeking personal crafting orders are looking for guaranteed Rank 5 (highest quality) items. Focus your advertising efforts on the recipes you can reliably craft at Rank 5 quality to attract clients.
Additionally, actively monitor the trade chat in Dornogal and other major hubs to identify players who are explicitly requesting items that you can craft. Proactively reaching out to these players can lead to personal crafting orders and contribute to your final skill level progression.
